The Time Is Now

Grandma with her Grandkids on the fire engine.

“You don’t get to choose how you’re going to die.  Or when.  You can only decide how you’re going to live. Now.” Joan Baez

Recently it seems every week I hear news of a long time acquaintance or friend who has cancer or some other life threatening disease.  As I absorb this heartbreaking news it reminds me once again how precious life is.  It also bids me to ask the questions, what am I doing to make a difference in the world?  How am I impacting my children and family in a way that will stay with them for a lifetime?  If something were to happen to me tomorrow, or today have I made a big enough difference in my kid’s lives, and those around me to leave a positive legacy or any kind of mark at all?

 How many times do we go through a day just thinking it is ordinary instead of the extraordinary gift from God that it is?

What is on your to do list today?  Is it laundry, work, cleaning toilets, shuttling the kids from here to there? Whatever it is, do it to God’s glory.  Let your ordinary become extraordinary every day.

Jesus came to this world to serve.  He served the people in many ways and each experience was extraordinary.  In the gospels we find Jesus setting an example of service by washing His disciple’s feet.  A lowly activity in those days meant for servants.  Sadly many of His disciples’s felt they were certainly much too important to wash feet.  Jesus petitioned them to become like Him and serve.

We are neither above nor beneath any task God has called us to do.  My least favorite task is cleaning toilets.  I clean them at least once a week or more if necessary.  I have never liked to clean them and I still don’t.  However, I clean them with a purpose: one purpose is to bring glory to God in the way I clean for my family as I serve them.  My other purpose is to show my kids that even though a job may not be very pleasant, or one you like, sometimes you have to get in there and get it done; joyfully.  It is no secret in our family that I don’t like to clean the toilets.  If you were to ask my kids what one of my least favorite responsibilities is, I am certain they would tell you it is cleaning the toilets.  This isn't because I grumble and complain about it.  This is because I have told them I don't like it but I set an example of how to do a task I don't like by my actions; having a serving attitude.

Remember the age-old saying, “Actions speak louder than words”.  You can positively change a life with an action.  A few actions come to mind that don’t cost a dime.  A genuine smile, a kind word, or a simple gesture. You don't have to move mountains, travel to foreign countries, or spend lots of money to make a difference but you do have to move your feet.  Time is a precious commodity.  None of us know how much time we have so we must spend it wisely and carefully.  The time is NOW to serve and make a difference.  No more excuses.  There are toilets waiting to shine and there are lives waiting to be changed because of YOUR smile.

 1 Corinthians 10:31…whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

 This Post is dedicated to my late Mother in law.  She had a God-given talent for service.  She always had a smile and a hug to warm a heart.  She impacted countless lives with her smile and love for laughter.  She knew how to work hard and joyfully.  Those who knew her were beyond blessed to have her in their lives.  I was fortunate to have her in mine.  

My Protector

[ Remi watching the waves.

Remi sleeping in the kids car seats with Mickey

My Protector –

Grrr, Grrr. I was rudely awaken at 1:30 in the morning to our lab on the bed (where she is not supposed to be) intensely growling over me out the window.   I grouchily told her to lie down and be quiet!  She was quiet for maybe a second then; grr, grr followed by a bark.  I was more awake now and figured I better get up to check it out since Roger was away.

In the darkness of the night thoughts began to race through my weary head as I crept out of bed.  Did I lock all the doors in the house and tuck the chickens in? Check, check.  I stood by the open window and listened.  I didn’t hear anything so I sleepily staggered to the rest room.  When I returned to the bedroom Remi (our lab) was still insisting that something was out there even though I persistently told her to be quiet and lay down, and to NOT wake the kids up.

She tries to be a good protector however, she is still a puppy.  There have been several instances where she cried wolf scaring me to death in the process for a false alarm.  Another time when Roger was away she woke me up at 3AM barking and growling in the living room.  With my big mag light in hand I cautiously went to the living room; my heart was ready to pound out of my chest.  I was thinking it was a burglar and I discovered she was ferociously barking at an out of place shoe… I could have choked her.

Given her persistence I listened at the window again after returning from the rest room and this time I heard what she had been trying to tell me about right outside our window.  At this point my heart was really pounding but I was still groggy as I stumbled to Roger’s side of the bed to get his bright flashlight.  As I sort of became more alert thoughts started racing through my mind wondering if I should get the gun out of the safe or just grab the flashlight.  I decided to just grab the flash light and, oh yeah I better grab my glasses so I can actually see what might be out there. Duh!!  Finally, I had myself as together as I was going to get.  I was in place at the window (glasses on) and I clicked the flashlight on.  There right in the spotlight I saw him, a big bear about 15 feet away from me poking around the outside of our chicken coop scrounging for food.  Once I shined the flashlight he smelled around a bit longer and didn’t like being in the spotlight so he meandered off through the lawn to go pester someone else.

Praise the Lord it was an uneventful visit (I will tell you about some not so uneventful visits another time.)  And I love seeing bears but NOT in my backyard!

Although Remi tries to keep her family safe she is not completely reliable.  I praise the Lord He is my true protector whom I can always count on no matter what I might face in life.  Jesus is always with us.  In Genesis 28:15 he gives us a promise.  “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.”

Dining With Chickens

Who has dined at your table recently?

Tonight we had a fabulous family dinner outside on our deck with a few visitors; our chickens. No we didn’t eat our chickens for dinner they joined us.  And before you think I am a crazy chicken lady who started a blog I will give you some more details.  During the evening hours our chickens get to come out of their pen and scratch around in our lawn and flower beds looking for yummy morsels.  They sometimes like to come up on the deck and see what is going on in the house. (They don’t get to come in, except when they sneak, or the kids carry them in.)  Our chickens have a purpose but they are also pets.  Tonight they took advantage of their cuteness and talked so sweetly in their chicken talk, so we threw some pieces of our meal to them during dinner. The kids especially took great pleasure in the fun.  Now keep in mind we don’t allow our dogs in the dining room while we are eating and we don’t normally feed the chickens while we eat either.  They do get a lot of scraps from the kitchen but in their own chicken house.

Many of you might think we are crazy to be sharing our dinner with chickens which is just how the locals felt when Jesus bid Zacchaeus to come out of the sycamore tree.  In Luke 19:3-7 NIV we read that Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus.  He was too short though to see over all the people so he climbed into a sycamore tree to see over the crowds.  Zacchaeus had heard about Jesus.  Now he had a chance to maybe catch a glimpse of Him as Jesus passed by.   You see when Zacchaeus heard about Jesus it was a life changing experience for him.  He had a changed heart which changed his actions.  However, his neighbors weren’t buying into his good guy act.  But God seemed intent on showing Zacchaeus how much he cared.  Jesus called him out of the tree by name and told Zacchaeus He was going home with him.   I am assuming Jesus had a meal with Zacchaeus in his home that day.  I can only imagine what an incredible day that was for Zacchaeus to have the Savior call him out of a tree by name and to have Jesus in his home with him when no one else wanted anything to do with him.  In fact, the townspeople all whispered and sneered when Jesus told Zacchaeus He was going to his house.

So what does all this have to do with dining with chickens?  Jesus doesn’t just love the people that we think are worthy of His love and grace.  Unlike us God sees a person’s heart.  He doesn’t care if someone wears the best clothing or drives the fanciest cars.  He looks at the heart and He knows that a moment with Him in His glory can change your life for eternity.  He doesn’t simply want your scraps from the table though He wants to dine with you and have an entire full coarse meal with you daily.  He wants to be in your heart moment by moment, for the rest of your life.